If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, Richmond’s brewers are at it again with *tons* of awesome events. You’ll find some great new beer releases, in addition to lots of benefits to help out the nonprofits and organizations we all know and love, so save your weekly restaurant budget for the weekend, because we’ve got a lot of great reasons to come and support.

PHOTO: Hardywood

Big news at Hardywood! The James River Jubilee is coming up this Sunday, so make sure you don’t go too hard on Saturday so you can make it out. Our buds at Hardywood partnered up with the James River Association to create this special first-ever James River celebration to honor the biggest and best part of our city: the river that runs through it.

All of our river-goers know how important the James is to Richmond and its history, and the James River Park System is one of the best in the state for hiking, fishing, picnics, and swimming all summer long. There’s nothing like getting out of the hustle and bustle of downtown to escape into the trails along the river, and take a vacation from the city without ever having to leave it. The James River Association maintains our beautiful environment and keeps it in tip-top shape for us to enjoy year-round, so take this Sunday to come together with us to appreciate the river and the people who protect it.

All day long at Hardywood, food trucks and beers galore will be around along with interactive vendors and jubilant music to commemorate Richmond’s greatest asset, and the wildlife that surrounds it.

Hardywood’s also got some great can releases this week, with None Of This Makes Sense coming out on Friday in cans along with Cloud Shapes, a dreamy fruit Double IPA dropping in cans that day as well.

PHOTO: Isley Brewing Company

Calling all dog lovers! National Dog Day is around the corner, and our friends at Isley Brewing Company have brewed up something special to commemorate it.

This Saturday, head over to Isley for the release of Rescue Red Ale, a red that reflects its name in its deep, cherry color. It’s brewed with Jarrylo and Mosaic hops that balance out its malty, sweet backbone with a bit of a hoppy kick. with a good amount of hops but a still-approachable 5.2% ABV and 34 IBU to keep the bitterness at bay.

Along with great beer, you’ll find everything from treats to doggie pools and homemade ice cream for your pups, and giveaways and raffles to treat their humans, too. The beer benefits the Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond and the Lab Rescue LRCP, so drink happy knowing you’re helping some sweet babies find homes.

Another bonus: if you’re a dog lover who has yet to find their dog to love, the event will be hosting adoptions of some great pups in need of forever homes. Come to Isley for the beer, and come home with your newest (and favorite) family member.

PHOTO: Ardent Craft Ales

Tomorrow night, swing by Ardent Craft Ales for some sweet earthy flavors in their latest brew. Barrel Aged Honey Ginger is making its way back to the taps, and this new version of a fan favorite is only available once a year — so make sure you don’t miss out, and get your taste before it’s gone.

Layered with bourbon and vanilla notes, this honey-ginger beer was aged for more than a year in bourbon barrels to add to its sweet honey tastes and spices with ginger. If you loved last year’s version, you’re sure to enjoy this one with its bourbon barrel additions of flavor. Coming in at a high 11.5% ABV, you’ll also only need one, unless you’re in that small class of folks I know who can grab a six pack and enjoy bourbon brews all night long.

If you’re wanting a taste without a weeknight evening at the brewery, you can also head over to grab some in bottles to enjoy anytime. They’re also hosting the release alongside one of our most-favorite foods with The Return of the Mac food truck out in the beer garden, so you won’t want to miss it.

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

Are you holding on to summer with all your might? You’re not alone. The Veil Brewing Co. feels your pain, and they’re hosting a banger for all the summer-lovers in the River City.

Forever Summer Fest is going down this Saturday at The Veil to benefit ChildSavers. This is an awesome way to give back, so don’t let the high ticket price scare you off if you’re able to swing it — all proceeds are going back to the nonprofit, so you can rest easy knowing those dollars are well-spent.

The event is taking place over three sessions throughout the day from morning to night, which lets you pick whichever time works best. Grab your tickets here for any session you please, and get tastes from tons of awesome breweries you won’t find around here… plus your local favorites like The Answer Brewpub who will be there pouring.

Here’s a full list of the brewers, many we don’t normally get to try at home, who are coming out:

Returning to Final Gravity Brewing Co. this week is Cassiopeia, a Double IPA brewed in honor of the beautiful Greek Cassiopeia in mythology. Head over to Final Gravity this Friday for a taste of melon, coconut, pine, peach, and “whispers of pineapple” in this easy drinker.

Cassiopeia was brewed with Cashmere and Mosaic hops to come together in this heavenly congregation, as the brewers say, of radiant flavors with a smooth bitterness that brings out its lemon and tangerine flavors.

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Out on the farm at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, our brewers are at it again with a brand-new brew coming out this Friday. Juicy #14 is the latest in Lickinghole Creek’s Juicy Series, dry-hopped with a massive amount of Eureka hops — and only Eureka hops.

A pale, hazy beauty according to Lickinghole Creek, Juicy #14 is full of tropical citrus, stone fruit, and blackberry flavors which all come together with a fluffy, wheat-based mash bill. You’ll love the low bitterness that comes with its big hop flavors from being rounded out with their house English Ale yeast to make this perfectly-dank and resinous beer.

PHOTO: Center of the Universe

Grab your wagons if you’ve got ‘em (wheelbarrows and station wagons are acceptable for those of us who live in the actual city) because Center of the Universe has a festival for you.

The 3rd Annual Circle the Wagons BBQ Cook-off and Concert is coming up this Saturday to benefit Circles Ashland, a nonprofit that works to reduce poverty in Ashland. This benefit is going down in the brand-new Green Top Hunt Fish with tons of entertainment, from music for parents to a 40ft inflatable obstacle course for the kids.

If you’re a big BBQ fan like myself, this event is definitely for you. A panel of 10 judges is going to be tasting one meat and one side from each of the vendors in attendance, which includes Saucy’s BBQ, The Salty Pig Smokehouse Co., Jake’s Place, Virginia BBQ Ashland, The UFO Truck, and my *all-time favorite* Grandpa Eddie’s Alabama Ribs & BBQ. You can bet your sweet bippy that I will be coming out if only for a massive plate of Grandpa Eddie’s just to take home and eat by myself in bliss.

They’ve also got amateur competitions that you can enter if you please, so get cookin’ and bring out your best recipes to take home the name of best cornbread in the state from the festival. All-around, this is going to be a day of bigtime good food, so bring your appetite and fast for food that morning if you have to. Lord knows I probably will.

PHOTO: Fine Creek Brewing

Out at Fine Creek Brewing, a new Lemon Wheat came out over the weekend that sounds delicious. Already a favorite among fans, this American Wheat Ale brew hits in at 5.2% ABV and brings out all the refreshment you need for these hot summer days. It was brewed with Callista, Saphir, and Nugget hops in addition to its fresh lemon peel additions, and you can grab it to-go as well in Growlers and Crowlers.

They’ve also got their beloved Turf & Twig Brown Ale back on tap, which has just the right amount of sweetness to complement this dark-style Brown Ale. You’ll catch dessert flavors like nutty coffee, baker’s cocoa, and pumpernickel bread to bring out its rich maltiness, and a clean finish with just that hint of sweetness to round it out.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, the brewers of Richmond have tons of great releases (and a few drive-worthy events) to keep our glasses full. If you’re looking for a summer weekend trip to get out of town, Three Notch’d has a collab fest with its Charlottesville location that sounds like a great way to spend your Saturday.

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

This week, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is doing an awesome throwback on #FreshCanFriday with their can release of Raspberry Short Kate. This brew came out back in the spring, the same week as Center of the Universe’s Southern Food Fest that won my bbq- and waffle-loving heart, and where my ham biscuits won theirs.

On that note, it’s time for me to pay a visit to Capitol Waffle Shop again soon. Those cinnamon-peachy glazed waffles with whipped cream and peach syrup have very literally been on my mind every week for months.

Distracted by waffles. Moving on.

Raspberry Short Kate came out that same week, and it’s *just* as worthy of your trip to the brewery as those waffles were. It’s heading back to the brewery again this Friday, and this Milkshake IPA was brewed with milk sugar (the best!) and tons of wheat and oats, so it brings out a really soft, pillowy feel with a fruity side. It was perfect when we just started to welcome spring, and lord how I wish for those beautiful days again now when it’s too hot to go outside most of the time. This 7% ABV raspberry milkshake was named in honor of Hardywood’s VP of operations, and just like everything Hardywood does, I promise it doesn’t disappoint.

PHOTO: Canon & Draw Brewing Company

Keeping on with their Hop Pale Ale series, Canon & Draw Brewing Company has a new release heading to its taps this Friday. Their Hop Pale Ale with Azacca and Triple Pearl is exclusively hopped with the two variations that bear its name, and you’ll catch a good amount of tropical fruit from the Azacca mixed with a bit of spice, plus mango, pineapple, and a bit of pine-like tastes.

Triple Pearl hops, on the other hand, are much more bitter-forward with a nice mouth-feel, and it’s got hints of spices like cloves and allspice to compliment its melon and sweet citrus flavors. For Canon & Draw’s brew, you can expect a perfectly-blended combination of the two to bring together the summer fruits with the cold-weather spice.

PHOTO: Steam Bell Beer Works

Steam Bell Beer Works is set to release the next in their Extra Plenty Gose series this Saturday, and it might be my favorite one yet. Their Extra Plenty Ginger Gose comes on the heels of other variations like Extra Plenty Hibiscus Cucumber Gose, which was made with major amounts of hibiscus and locally-sourced cucumbers.

Their cucumber flavor gave off more of a watermelon-candy taste and poured with a pink color while being loved as a light, refreshing beer by many of its drinkers.

I’m extra-excited for the new Ginger Gose Ale release, because like Cucumber Gose, it was brewed with the same pink Himalayan salt that brought in just enough salinity to round out the flavors.

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

Just like last week, The Veil Brewing Co. had a huge Tuesday night release to bring out the new and the old in both fresh beers and returns.

They brought back Never Give Up³last night, complete with triple blackberry and passionfruit puree flavors that hits in at 5.3% ABV. This Gose has a deep, dark red color with a bright pink head, and you’ll get strong flavors for the mild ABV content.

Next up, The Veil hosted the return of redmiata, an IPA that’s not just light on the mouth, it’s “luxuriously soft.” Right up my alley. This 6% ABV brew suits its sports-car name and it came along with LVL — a TIPA that was brewed with 100% Galaxy hops to come in at a much higher 11% ABV. LVL is a sibling to Alone and Personvl Space, according to the brewers.

Finally, The Victim (pictured above) made its way to the taps for the first time in its debut, and it’s a brand-new fruited sour DIPA that was brewed with a lot of goodies: wheat, oat malt, and Citra, Galaxy, BRU-1 hops, plus raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and milk sugar. If you’re expecting something special, you’re correct. This 8% ABV brew is super thick in consistency, and its huge red colors boast its flavor.

PHOTO: Ardent Craft Ales

Tomorrow night at Ardent Craft Ales, a custom Omega Yeast blend and traditional German hops come together to bring a brand-new collaboration brew. Ardent and Omega’s Hefeweizen release pours a hazy, pale straw color according to its brewers, and it’s got a high carbonation to suit its true Hefeweizen style. The German beers are unfiltered, and this collab hits in at 4% ABV to keep things light amongst its pear, banana, and vanilla flavors.

I’m a big fan of bananas in food, in smoothies, in beer, and in just about anything, so this one definitely sounds good with the combination of vanilla.

PHOTO: Goochland Flow Arts Festival

Have you been waiting for me to get to the events? Yeah, I have, too — there aren’t a ton this week while our local brewers are focused on doing their #1 job of bringing us new beers, but here’s one I’m definitely excited about.

The Goochland Flow Arts Festival is on its way throughout this weekend, and it’ll be full of stuff to do. Live music like The Fat Catz, Ryan Hearn Music, Dreaddy Bear, Sunrizen, Magnetite, and Buddagraph Spaceship (those are some truly out-of-this-world band names) will be going on through the festival, plus art workshops and fire spectacles with Komorebi Fire Arts.

You can also catch live art with Her Art, The Love and Light Workshop, and James Wallace on top of awesome food with Silence of the Hams BBQ. I really can’t get enough of the names this week, y’all. Silence of the Hams is so good.

Beer-wise, your faves at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery have you covered. The whole festival is being hosted at their brewery, which is on a gorgeous farm with plenty of room to host the happenings.

PHOTO: Triple Crossing Beer

In more events, Triple Crossing Beer is hosting their summer edition of their Can Jam coming up this Saturday.

This time around, they’re partnering up with Threes Brewing again to bring the Brooklyn festival to the River City. The festival features cans from some of the best and brightest breweries around the entire country, so if you’re looking to get a taste of something you’ve never had before, now’s definitely your chance.

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

Over the weekend, Väsen Brewing CompanydroppedAnother Otter. If you’re a fan of the Blood Orange San Pellegrino — which I think, honestly, every person in Richmond is — you’ll love this brew.

With generous additions of blood orange and tangerine, Vasen got some intense citrus out of this beer with its dominant flavors. The fruity sour has depth and complexity from its coriander and Motueka hops, according to its brewers, and a good amount of lemon and lime aromas to balance it all out.

PHOTO: Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

For Virginia Craft Beer Month, Three Notch’d RVA Collab House is taking over Charlottesville. The best beers brewed in Richmond are making their way down 64 to the other Three Notch’d location, where you can grab a beer and a bite at the same time in Charlottesville’s Craft Kitchen and Brewery.

Some of the beers heading down the road are Saison Classique, a French Saison collab for the Red Paint beer weekend in town, Summer School, a NEIPA collab with the University of Richmond’s beer brewing students, Cherries Are For Lovers Cherry Gose, and Ocean Echoes, a Caribbean Wit made with coconut and pineapple.

Another one they’re taking down is A Little Dab of Honey, which is my second-favorite Three Notch’d release this summer because of its honey-wheat flavors and collaboration with Black Heath to brew it with 60 lbs of fresh, Virginia-made wildflower honey.

Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite of all — the Lush-ious Maple Brown Ale brewed up recently to celebrate the opening of Lush cupcakes (alcohol-infused desserts right here in Richmond). This brown ale was made with pecans and Grade A maple syrup to mimic a dessert, and also to make me get in my car and drive straight there for a taste because it’s all my favorite things in one beer.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, we’re diving in with some brand-new brews and tons of awesome events, all to keep your summer rolling and your hot days refreshed.

Before we get started into the local brewery news, here’s something awesome: there’s a new podcast in town called Booze Clues by the Geeks Under the Influence Media Network, and they record live in front of an audience each month. Their most recent episode’s audio was just released, and you can find it here to listen to local comedians, podcasters, and entertainers investigating the world’s most bizarre and “spirited” headlines from the last month. It’s a really unique idea to bring to the table (or the bar) in the beer world around here, so check it out and give these guys a listen!

PHOTO: The Veil Brewing Co.

The Veil Brewing Co. is known for its collabs with Sweden’s Omnipollo to an extent already, but they’re throwing a party to make sure no one forgets. This Saturday, Omnipolloscope is going down at The Veil, the “biggest and baddest collab ever.”

They’re holding an official global release of all five of their collab beers, after more than two years, many miles traveled, and the joint efforts of some of the best in the industry, according to the brewers. The Stockholm brewery has been working with The Veil for quite some time now, and the product of all their hard work is finally here, all at once, for us to drink up.

The beers dropping at the release this weekend are numbered from one to five, starting with a Raspberried/Blueberried/Blackberried Wood Aged Sour Jam. Up next is a Superstition Strawberry Bourbon, and a German Jesus Choclorelei Waffle Neapolitan Ice Cream Cheesecake Scoooooooop (wow, that’s a mouthful). They’ve also got a Never Miami Thunder Lemon Meringue Milkshake Raspberry Blackberry Double Ice Cream Lassi Gose (y’all these names are LONG) and… Christ… a Fatamosaicddhdreamatomicdobishredder IIIIPA (oh my GOD).

Ok, I’m never typing that word again. How y’all gonna do that to me? Your poor local beer writer?

Lucky for you, you don’t have to spell it — you just have to drink it. Go get one, and get me one too for the headache. The Veil is lucky their beer is so damn good. I still love you, I promise.

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Y’all, this is one of my most-favorite events of the year and it’s back this weekend! The Sunflower Festival has its opening weekend at Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery starting on Saturday, and it’s nothing short of beautiful out on the farm this time of year.

Since the field of yellow is subject to the weather, Lickinghole Creek is hosting the festival over three weekends this summer — so if you can’t make it this time, check back with their Facebook page to see when the flowers open up. Bring your basket and a set of shears to take a bundle home, or my personal favorite, grab a camera and take the opportunity to get a beautiful batch of photos.

My first-most-favorite event of the year is always visiting farms in the fall, when all the hayrides and pumpkin patches complete the season. We’re still a few months out from that for now, but the Sunflower Festival is as close as it gets in warm weather. To bring some of that charm to the sunny days, Lickinghole Creek is hosting hayrides and a slip and slide for some extra outdoor fun, plus a 4th of July Pig Roast with Papa V’s coming up next week.

They’ll have plenty of food trucks and summer brews alongside live music from artists like Billy Groux and Rocky Ford, Bill Roberts, Sean Liverman and more over the course of the month’s weekends. Of all the events that come in and out of Richmond this time of year, if you like getting outside, this is one you won’t want to miss.

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Bringing Pride Month to a close, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery is throwing a Thirst fundraiser tonight. They’ll be slinging glasses of Tropic Like It’s Hot — which, if you remember from last week, is their good-times brew that they brought out for their Pride party celebrating the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality.

Tonight’s fundraiser is taking us off of the brewery grounds and up to the clouds on Quirk Hotel’s rooftop, overlooking the city and its beautiful views to eat, drink, and be merry while raising money for Richmond’s Side By Side, an organization that supports LGBTQ youth in Virginia.

The forecast looks great so far, with temps hitting the low 90’s (lord help us all, will we make it through August?) and a cloudy sky to bring down the heat. Thankfully, the sun won’t be blazing too hard this time around, but all bets are off for the rest of the summer in Richmond. This is just about the annual time when I recede to the AC in my house unless I’m leaving it directly for a pool. Godspeed to us all.

PHOTO: Stone Brewing Richmond

Do you remember the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild last week? We do. And if you don’t, check our site here for some stellar coverage of this year’s winners in the Old Dominion from Lee Graves, a local beer enthusiast and fellow writer on the brewing world’s happenings.

Stone Brewingtook home an award (no surprise) for first place in the American Porter and Stout category this year. There’s something special in the tanks at Stone, as far as I’m concerned, because they seem to be incapable of making a bad beer. Their Espresso Totalitarian Imperial Russian Stout was the prize winner for the dark brews, and this dark, roasty stout made a name for the brewery once again.

Not to say that Stone is our only star, either — tons of our local favorites from Center of the Universe to Lickinghole Creek, Strangeways, Garden Grove and more took home first- and second-place awards in all sorts of categories this year. What it comes down to is that Richmond is really earning its place as the East Coast beer hub, and people all around the country are noticing it.

Triple Crossing Beer

⟁ Out at Triple Crossing Beer, another weekend multi-release is in order. This Friday in Fulton, grab a glass of Mosaic Triangles, a bright and soft tropical orange-rind melon-citrus brew that’s “deeply encased” within their preferred 6% ABV range. Triple Crossing says they paired this one to bring the strongest shape in nature together with one of their most beloved hops of all time, Mosaic.

Pathway Pils is also making its way to Fulton this weekend, a 100 percent German Pils malt that was blended with the most notable varietals of hops. You’ll find flavors of floral, lemon, hay-like sweet honey straw, and a zesty, dry-but-soft lager. This one’s set to be the brewery’s house Pilsner, so make sure to grab a taste of the one that stands out so much to its brewers. ⟁

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

More double releases are coming up this weekend, with Väsen Brewing Company’sTriple Berry Sour and Mexican Lager can releases. Triple Berry Sour comes from their favorite saison, which they’ve soured and conditioned on hundreds of pounds of blackberry, blueberry, and boysenberry to create the “shockingly-purple, delightfully-sour” brew.

If you’re looking for color in your summer, this is the beer for you. Its purple body is topped with a bright pink head to create a big taste in this Belgian fruit bomb.

PHOTO: Three Notch’d RVA Collab House

Thanks to a team in Richmond, Virginia Is For Lovers has defined the Commonwealth for decades now. Three Notch’d RVA Collab House has the perfect offshoot of our beloved state anthem to add to the mix: Cherries Are For Lovers, a Cherry Gose that keeps the summer colors going and brings a tasty side to the 50 Years of Love Campaign this year.

Cherries Are For Lovers is on tap now at Three Notch’d in Scott’s Addition, in the heart of the city’s favorite beer neighborhood (Beerborhood? Neighbeerhood? Neighborbeer? All of the above). It’s as bright as the days outside lately, and it’s a perfect weekend brew to cool down with after a long week in the sun.

PHOTO: Legend Brewing Company

Friday nights on the patio: Richmond’s favorite pastime, and especially when it’s the patio at Legend Brewing Company. Legend’s outdoor space is one of the best, by far, in town, and this weekend the Mike Lucci Band is coming out to make it even better.

If you’re a fan of rock and the blues, this is your time to shine. Get a glass of one of Legend’s delicious craft brews and grab a seat outside for a full evening of music, river views, and great eats with our longtime friends at Legend. And if the summer rain comes, don’t worry — they’ve got plenty of room inside to keep the music and the beers rolling on.

PHOTO: Steam Bell Beer Works

The month of multiple releases must truly be upon us, because we had more than I could count on one hand last week and we’ve got several running this week already. Steam Bell Beer Works is next up with Crooked Smile and Farmer’s Daughterthis Friday, and both bring something unique to the table.

Crooked Smile starts off Steam Bell’s releases at 8.9% ABV, so it’ll be the perfect way to kick off your Friday night. This pillowy-soft Double IPA is packed with tropical fruit tastes and an “in your face” fruit punch, brewed with late-kettle additions to keep the bitterness small and the flavors huge. It’s been dry-hopped with two rounds of Azacca and Mosaic hops, and its English base malts are complemented with just the right amount of specialty malts to bring out a rich orange color.

Farmer’s Daughter follows up a bit lower at 6.4% ABV, and the Belgian Saison has an herbal aroma with a crisp, peppery dryness. Brewed with traditional malts and hops, this batch was made in white wine barrels and aged with second-use fruit to bring out the sour.

PHOTO: Richmond Brewer’s Ball

Celebrating Richmond’s finest: the 2019 Richmond Brewer’s Ball is happening tomorrow night at Historic Tredegar. Beer lovers are invited to come out and try hand-crafted beers from all of the city’s best (which, to be real, is too many to count with all the great brewers around here), with views, music, and prizes in both live and silent auctions. The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and honors 25 of the city’s leaders in the fight to find a cure.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

Old-timers in the Virginia beer community can remember pitching tents in the woods and meadows of Nelson County as part of the annual ritual to taste and toast the best of craft beers in the Old Dominion.

The 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on Monday, June 17, was a bit different. Yes, we were under a tent, but the setting was decidedly more elegant, among the venerable stone buildings of the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond.

And yes, it was billed as a gala. “When they originally mentioned it was going to be a ‘gala’ event,” said a friend of mine, “I was thinking red carpet, round tables and creative gala attire. But everyone came as they were.” Yes, you have to love a gala where a guy wearing a T-shirt, cutoffs, and sandals takes the stage amid hoots and hollers to accept a medal for a well-made beer.

Virginia’s contest, sponsored by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild, is the largest among state competitions in the country. This year, there were 342 entries in 35 categories. Judges — 39 in all, led by former James River Homebrewers president Anna Shore — followed the guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program.

“We have purposefully focused on the quality of our judging,” said Brett Vassey, president and CEO of the Virginia Manufacturers Association, which is the umbrella organization for the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. Beers were judged in the categories they entered, a stricter standard than in past years. “That’s a big deal,” Vassey said.

More focused judging and a record number of entries made it a big deal to receive a medal, and you could tell from the energy crackling from the 300 or so brewers, brewery owners, and beer lovers under the tent that having your name called was special.

Bob Powers (left) and Bill Wild of New Realm Brewing (Virginia Beach, Atlanta) hoist the Best in Show trophy for Euphonia Pilsner at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala. Photo by Lee Graves

“We’re totally blown away,” said Bob Powers after New Realm Brewing Company won the first-place Best in Show for Euphonia Pilsner. Powers is director of sales and marketing for the brewery, which he cofounded with Mitch Steele (former head brewer at Stone Brewing Co.) and Carey Falconer. Based in Atlanta, New Realm moved into the Virginia Beach facility vacated by Green Flash in 2018.

Steele is known as a master of IPAs (he wrote a book on the style’s history and evolution), so taking Best in Show for a German-style pilsner is an eye-opener. “It’s really the beer he’s most proud of, and he’s won a few other awards since we’ve had it out,” Powers said.

Last year’s best in show winner also was a lager, the Lil’ Hellion Helles by Brothers Craft Brewing in Harrisonburg (a silver medal winner this year). Though IPAs dominate the marketplace, it’s the nuanced, delicate balance in lagers — pilsners in particular — that reflects the height of brewing arts and gets high scores from judges.

Just as the stylistic pendulum has swung, the spotlight also has broadened as the state’s brewing scene has matured. Gone are the days when Devil’s Backbone dominated contests.

“The [medal] distribution is amazingly statewide,” Vassey said. “The distribution among startups, new breweries and senior breweries — those that have been around a while — is amazingly distributed.”

Numbers bear him out. Breweries in the Tidewater area took home 21 medals, if you count New Realm winning two for Euphonia Pilsner (one for winning its category, one for Best in Show). In the Richmond area, the count is 14 medals; in Central Virginia (Charlottesville and beyond), 13 medals; in the Roanoke area and Southside, nine; in the Shenandoah Valley, 10; in Loudoun County, eight; in outer Northern Virginia (including Fredericksburg), 10; in inner Northern Virginia (Alexandria, Arlington, etc.), also 10.

That last group includes the Great American Restaurants group’s Sweetwater Taverns, which has multiple locations in Northern Virginia and Loudoun County. Sweetwater was one of an elite bunch that carried home three medals — firsts for Rusty Roadrunner Lager and Yippee Ei-O Springbock and second for its pale ale. Three other breweries — Center of the Universe in Ashland, 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company in Danville, and Blue Mountain Barrelhouse in Nelson County — won three medals as well.

Some 300 brewers, brewery owners and beer lovers celebrated the best in Virginia brewing at the 2019 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Gala on June 17 at Tredegar Iron Works. Photo by Lee Graves

Winning one medal is a stamp of excellence for one beer. Winning multiple awards is a stamp of excellence in brewing, and 14 Virginia breweries had their name called twice: Seven Arrows in Waynesboro; Lake Anne Brew House in Reston; The Board Room in Arlington; Adventure in Fredericksburg; Old Bust Head in Vint Hill; Old Ox, Beltway and TrAle in Loudoun County; Fine Creek in Powhatan (including second place Best in Show), Three Notch’d, Starr Hill and Bald Top in Central Virginia; and New Realm and Big Ugly in Tidewater.

Given the record number of entries and the continued growth among Virginia’s craft breweries and brewpubs — more than 280 at last count — it won’t be long before future galas will need a bigger tent.

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

Did you miss me? This week, we’re jumping back in after a week off (thanks to all our beautiful beer people for being patient while I took my first vacation break from writing the column since last fall). I’m home from a lovely week with the fam, tanner than ever, and super stoked to be back to my beer world. We’re going to check out some extra-awesome events this week, and catch up on a few special releases that happened over my holiday. Local brewers are dropping tons of multiple releases this week, too, so if you’re in the mood to try something new, we’ve got you covered. Drink up, y’all!

PHOTO:Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Happy Pride Month, everyone! Your faves at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery are celebrating big. This coming Sunday, Hardywood is honoring all the folks over the years who have worked tirelessly, marched bravely, and stayed strong in the fight for human rights despite our nation’s enduring resistance to equality.

As Hardywood so notably stated, these rights are grounded “on the foundations of love and equity,” and they continue to write love into our future. Well said, y’all. And on that note, they’re throwing a party to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality with what they do best: beer.

For the high-spirited occasion, they’re bringing back a brew made for uplifting times like these. Tropic Like It’s Hot is Hardywood’s passion fruit, pineapple, and dragon fruit-laced sour recipe that comes along with a tart, dry finish to stay refreshed on hot days. During the event, they’re hosting three live bands plus two drag shows, and tons of awesome local vendors. Catch places like Dayum This is My Jam, Maven Made, Chop Chop RVA and more, plus food trucks like Haulin’ Balls and King of Pops. Yum!

Cherry-Mang Tastee started off the group, and it’s not your usual brew. This smoothie-style sour ale was created with milk sugar and cherry and mango purées. You can catch it at the brewery now (while they last), along with Taste Test: a West Coast-inspired Double IPA. Taste Test is fresh to the taps, a brand-new release brewed with Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial, and whole-leaf Cascade hops. The Veil’s third release in this week’s Tuesday night series, Crucial Shredder, is making its second debut at the brewery as a blend between two old favorites. I’m sure you remember Crucial Taunt, a fan favorite and delightfully-hoppy beer that’s now been blended with Master Shredder to create this 5.5% ABV collab brew.

PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Speaking of old favorites, Pegasus Double IPA is making its way back to Final Gravity Brewing Co.on Friday. This “mystical blend” of pineapple, citrus, and fresh pine was made to send your tastebuds soaring — and it’s meant to create a surge of flavor reminiscent of the magnificent beast it’s named after.

According to Final Gravity, much like the legend that “the winged horse struck his hoof to the Earth,” Pegasus DIPA will inspire its drinkers with the surge of flavor that comes from its Falconer’s Flight hops. It carries a golden haze in color, and it’s got a nice citrusy-hop flavor in its profile.

PHOTO: Canon & Draw Brewing Company

Richmond brewers are really upping their multiple-release game this week. First with The Veil and again with Canon & Draw Brewing Company, this trend is one I’m on board with. Canon & Draw is dropping their Peaches n’ Cream fruited IPA this Friday alongside their Sole Accomplice IPA, brewed with Simcoe hops and coming out as part of their fruited IPA series. Sole Accomplice is going to be a recurring theme over at the Main Street brewery, a rotating series that’ll highlight a specific hop with each new recipe it makes.

An extra-cool part of this week’s series is that Peaches n’ Cream is coming out on National Peaches n’ Cream Day. Who knew this was a thing?! Who’s been keeping this from me? I can’t wait to celebrate it.

PHOTO: The Answer Brewpub

While I was shoulder-deep in the ocean living the dream last week, The Answer got fresh goods in to your favorite brewpub in town. Everyone knows The Answer for their stellar glasses (let us not forget all the times they’ve excited gamers, fandoms and more with glassware for every interest) and they introduced a brand-new design. Their Platinum house glasses went on sale right after our last RVA On Tap together, so go grab one while you can!

In more news at The Answer, Medical Glycol Card dropped over our break as well. This Double IPA was brewed in collaboration with Burley Oak, and with its Cashmere, Enigma, and Cascade hops, the brewers noted its healing properties — but reminded us to “always consult your glycol shaman before you imbibe.”

PHOTO: Triple Crossing Beer

Last Friday, in the spirit of more multiple releases, Triple Crossing Beer put out two fresh recipes and one beloved return in Fulton. Triple Crossing is already known for multiple releases, but they’ve set the standard for how to do it damn well every time.

Interstellar Burst started off last weekend’s new beers, a Double IPA with flavors of passionfruit, pineapple, grapefruit, and mango that was generously hopped with Galaxy, Citra, and El Dorado hops. It’s got deep and plush fruit flavors, according to the brewers, and it was the crowd favorite of the week. Nectar and Knife also made a new debut in Fulton, made with Simcoe and Mosaic hops to give off the bright, grapefruit-pulpy zest and softness of a DIPA well-done — and zero bitterness. Origins Double IPA returned to Triple Crossing as well, and it was inspired by the beautiful Northeastern U.S. It’s got a balanced caramel-malt sweetness to complement the bitterness of its hops — Simcoe, Centennial, Mosaic, and Amarillo — and its style was pioneered in the “densely-wooded” states it was made for.

PHOTO: Powhatan Music Festival

In more events this week, don’t miss the Powhatan Music Festival with our buds at Fine Creek Brewing Company. Hosted out at the Village Meadow, the festival will be packed with live music all day long with artists like Maddie Leitch, East of Hollywood, PumpHouse Blues, Kyle Davis, and The Commonwealth Bluegrass Band.

You’ll get to catch some of your favorite local wineries in addition to the delicious brews served up by Fine Creek, and this “One Day of Music” will certainly be one for the books. Bring your kiddos along for cheaper tickets (and the littlest ones for free), and grab some grub and beer for the best Virginian-music spirit.

PHOTO: Kindred Spirit Brewing

Kindred Spirit Brewing is dropping a new summer release on the first official day of the season, their Orange Dream fruity recipe. This orange and vanilla cream ale is designed to remind you of Dreamsicles and daydreaming under the clouds, and like Peaches n’ Cream, it blends the best kinds of fruit with the pillowy-softness of a cream ale. It’s coming out this Friday out at Kindred Spirit’s spot in Goochland, so head out west and start your weekend off right.

PHOTO: Steam Bell Beer Works

In *another* double release this weekend, Steam Bell Beer Works has two awesome recipes to bring to the table (or bar). On Friday, Idolic and Patchronce are coming out to the taps. Idolic is a complex malt, according to the brewers, with strong notes of caramel, raisin, and plum to give this Belgian ale’s yeast the room to work its magic. It’s “dangerously drinkable” at 10.7%, so don’t drink this one lightly — or do, and don’t remember your Friday. That’s on you, pal. It’s fruity and soft at the same time, and it’s coming out with Patchronce: A light-bodied French Saison that was brewed with raspberries and blackberries.

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Keeping the trend going: More double releases, and this one’s special. Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery is proud to introduce Hemp in the Hills and Juicy #12this weekend, with food trucks like Sandtopia and Firesides stopping by over the course of the weekend.

If you’re feeling the events and the new releases at the same time, Lickinghole Creek’s got you covered. These beers are coming out with live music to go along with them, like Dropping Julia on Saturday and Michael Melvin on Sunday.

Rather than a one-day double release, these two are being celebrated all weekend long (so if you’re trying to make it out to more than one boozy event like myself this weekend, you can put Lickinghole Creek on your books no matter what).

PHOTO: Center of the Universe

As if you didn’t need more reasons to wag your tail, Center of the Universe Brewing has a huge one for all of us: Dogs! Bring your pups out tonight for Tail Waggin’ Wednesdays, with food trucks and live music outside at your favorite Ashland spot to brighten up your mid-week blues.

Proceeds from these Center of the Universe events go back to the Friends of Hanover Dog Parks and to the Hanover Humane Society. Freekin’ Rican is coming out for catering, and Ryan Hearn Music will be out rocking the Biergarten stage.

PHOTO: Castleburg Brewery and Taproom

In case you didn’t hear, there is a *ton* of awesome live music coming up at Castleburg Brewery and Taproom. In the next week, we’ve got a good group of upcoming shows to plan on: like Kate Stedelbaur live at Castleburg this Friday, The Embalmers go Surf-Psycho on Saturday, Jim Lord live on Sunday, and Miki Fiki coming up next Wednesday. Castleburg is getting in gear for a good time, as it seems, and they’re here to make sure hardly any nights of your week go unfilled with fun.

PHOTO: Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery

Head over to Carytown, my friends, and join Garden Grove Brewing & Urban Winery in collaboration with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for Brew For A Cure. JDRF is making their way to Garden Grove on Saturday to drink beer for a cause (what’s better than that?) and further their mission to find a cure for type 1 diabetes with research support from the event and its attendees. With raffles and live music from 1:00-10:00pm, you can swing by any time of the day to grab a brew towards making a difference.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!

If you missed the last column, you can check that out here. Our kegs are overflowing this week with beer releases and festivals, events, and other cool happenings around town — so hold on to your mugs!

This week, we’ve got a ton of fresh new releases coming out of Richmond, and a few collabs with friends down in Norfolk, too, to get you through an awesome week with plenty of events to keep the fun flowing.

PHOTO: Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Happy rainy, cold, flood week! If you’re over it like me and wishing you could grab a White Claw in the sun, I’ve got some exciting news for you — our local faves are dropping their own sparkling fruity beer. Hardywood has their eyes pointed toward the summer, with their recent announcement of a sweet new side project, Suncrush Beverage LLC, coming this season. Suncrush is a series of sparkling ales from the local sweethearts, brewed and distributed by Hardywood but keeping their own brand at the same time.

All together, the new line is made with fruit and matcha tea, according to the RTD, and come in Ginger Lime, Southern Peach, Grapefruit, Lemon Raspberry, Cranberry, and Black Cherry. Keep an eye out for them across Virginia this week, and if you’re traveling, they’re dropping in North Carolina and Georgia soon, too.

PHOTO: Center of the Universe Brewing

In new-brew news, Center of the Universe’sBald Irishman is dropping this Saturday. This Irish Red Ale is created with five different malts, and “a whole lotta love!” Contrary to its El Duderino counterpart, Bald Irishman comes from the breweries Satellite club fundraisers, dubbed by COTU as their “El Balderinos.” Grab one (or twelve), because 10 percent of the proceeds of these bad boys go to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which benefits research for kids with cancer. This one also took home a gold medal last year in its class at the World Beer Cup for Irish reds, and with its perfectly-balanced flavor, we can’t debate it.

If you’re looking for fun this weekend, COTU is also hosting Brewery Burlesque on Friday night, so be sure to pregame your bald Europeans with some half-naked Americans. Nice.

PHOTO: Intermission Beer Company

Over at Intermission Beer Company, Stiftung is making its way to the taps on Friday as well. This Blood Orange IPA is both good for the body and good for the soul, as Intermission’s first-ever gluten-reduced brew — and its beautiful sunset colors will have you wishing for summer even more. It was made as a collab between Intermission and Schnabel Engineering, hopped with Simcoe, Amarillo and Cascade to give the perfect blend of blood orange and a floral-citrusy taste to finish.

PHOTO: Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Yeehaw! This is right up my alley. Final Gravity Brewing Co. is throwing another Bluegrass Jam next Wednesday, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. The event will be full of all the gee-tars and acoustic bluegrass jams your lil hearts can handle: And if you bring your own and join in, you’ll get cheep beer! It don’t get better than that. I’m musically-challenged, but all my bets are on enjoying the classic mountain jam night with some of my favorite brews (and people), plus a visit from Happy Empanada to warm everyone’s bellies with some delicious authentic eats.

PHOTO: Väsen Brewing Company

Surprise! Väsen’s got something up their sleeve. Or rather, they did, because they released this secret beer over the weekend when no one was looking. Wanderlust #3 is their version of traditional Norwegian farmhouse ales, which according to Väsen are often brewed with juniper in addition to the regular hops. They brought the hometown vibe into this one with local Virginia juniper, coupled with pineapple and dried apricots from the traditional kveik yeast to make all your Scandinavian dreams come true. It’s already out on the taps, so grab a glass while you can!

PHOTO: Triple Crossing Beer

Triple Crossing Beer has also got some extra-special recipes this week, like their Oak Aged Hilltop that came out last night at their spot in Fulton. This is a step past their previous ventures in cold-fermented beers, which brought them to the Franconian Kellerbier. Triple Crossing is famous for their carefully-crafted, expertly-flavored brews, so this one’s definitely worth a spot on your tastebuds. According to TC, they like to think this style might have been created “out of necessity” rather than for enjoyment in its original making, but this particular version was left longer to age in red wine oak barrels. It’s full of flavors like vinous oak barrel, florals, zesty herbal orange peel oak spices, and a malt-forward pumpernickel bread crust base to balance all the scales just right — in a perfectly-Triple-Crossing fashion. Its rich amber color can be found in half-liter dimpled mugs before it goes down the hatch, so enjoy the character while you drink. TC said they made the decision to give it hell: And they think you’ll agree.

PHOTO: Three Notch’d Brewing Company

Our buds at Three Notch’d have a delightfully-summery beer on the way for Tap That Friday, a Blood Orange Gose appropriately named Blood Orange, Sweat & Gears. This Gose was brewed up to raise awareness for the next big bike thang in town, the 2019 Colonial Crossroads ride between Richmond and Williamsburg with BIKE MS. It was made specifically to be a nice, refreshing break for bike riders along their trail, and every pint donates a dollar to the organization all night. Drink up!

PHOTO: Smartmouth Beer

This special beer has been stirring up a lot of excitement all week. Smartmouth Beer, out of Norfolk, has a Saturday Morning Marshmallow IPA on the way this Saturday, set to flash you back “to those perfect Saturday Mornings when you rolled out of bed, and were lazy all morning watching your favorite cartoons.” The Lucky-Charms flavored brew was made with tropical fruity Calypso hops, and the result is ~magically delicious~ according to its creators. It’s one for the books, and it’s definitely one you want to give a try.

PHOTO: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

Aside from breakfast foods, Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery has a double release coming up on Friday to highlight the best fruity flavors in their Deck of Cards Series: Something Soaring. This juicy IPA is perfect for regular drinkers of this style, packed with Huell Melon, Simcoe and Azacca hops to brighten up all its strawberry, cantaloupe, stone fruit, and mango vibes. Make sure to get one while you can, as the brewery says cases are extra-limited. This fruity princess is one for the books, and likely to become one of those favorites you’ll never forget and wish you could get another taste of down the road.

PHOTO: Ardent Craft Ales

The east side of 64 is crafting it up this week! Coming out tomorrow night for Richmond’s beloved Thirsty Thursday tradition is Ardent Craft Ales’ Kōyō. This Japanese-style rice lager comes as a collab between one of our favorite local spots and Elation Brewing down in Norfolk. This one’s a delicate, pale-yellow colored lager that finishes with a crisp, clean body to balance out with its Zuper Saazer hop character. It’s a nice light lager to start your weekend off with, and its minimal bitterness is a perfect beginning to a few days off of tasting all the new faves around town.

That’s it for this week’s RVA On Tap! As your weekly columnist, I’m here to take all your beer releases, event info, ideas and questions. If you’re a brewer, send me your release info at [email protected], and if you’re a beer enthusiast, drop me a line anytime to talk booze. Catch y’all next week!